Album



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AA A.. AINSWORTH ALBUM Filed May 12, 1937 March 12,1940.

f f f f f f BY hir-Lw* lffi ATTORNEYS A March 12, 1940. Ai A. lNswoRTHALBUM Filed May 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 12,1940 UNrrso s'rrss Albert A. Ainsworth, Ossining, N. Y.

Application May 12, 1937, Serial No. 142,112

e claims.

This invention relates to scrap books, albums, sample books and thelike, and to methods for assembling the same.

In describing the various features of this invention, reference will behad to a sample book particularly adapted to the display of textilesamples; however, the invention need not be limited to this class ofbinders, but may have application broadly wherever a bookor binder orsemi-permanent character is required.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sample book or the like,with features of binding which will render the nished product ineXpensive, strong and convenient, and at the same time provide a lightnessof construction which will make the assembly capable of easy handling.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sample or other displaybook in which the leaves or sheets are secured to the backing member inspaced relation to each other so that the sheets may be used as mountingbases for samples or the like of more or lessbulk without destroyingtheir substantially parallel relationship. and so that the edges of allthe leaves with their samples may be viewed as a unit when the book isopened in the middle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method ofv'assemblingan album comprising the construction of the backing member of a singleflat piece of material and then forming or bending the backing memberinto a hollow shaped back as the i'inal step oi" assembling. Theadvantages of this method of construction will be immediately apparentto those skilled in thel art since the disadvantage of othersemi-permanent binders, in that leaves must be applied after assembly byawkward manipulation in the limited space in the back of the binding, isobviated in a simple and convenient manner.

In the drawings which illustrate certain preferred embodiments of thisinvention and ferm a part of this specification:

Fig. lis a plan View of the album, with swatches mounted thervein,openat the center, the feature of visibility of part of each sample beingshown;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the album in closed position showing theparallel relationship between the various sheets; v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through lines 3-3 ofv Fig. l,partly in section, partly in end elevation;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the outer side` of the slitted backing memberbefore assembly;

Fig. 5 is a view through the line 5--5y of Fig. 3, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

, take `may vary,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a single hinge and sheet assembly withpart of the sheet Ibroken away; t t l- Fig. 7 is a variation of thehinge of the invention. y

In pursuance of the objects of this invention, a backing H of anysuitable stii light material of relatively high tensile strength, whichmaybe heavy cardboard, light sheet metal, or theglike, is provided insheet form as shown in Fig. 4. This `backing sheet in its unassembledstateis provided with slits lf2, corresponding in number to the numberoi' sheets proposed to be-used in the iinished binder. i.

The slits are not necessarily limited to any particular width, it onlybeing desirable that they be wide enough to admit the passage of hingesl it and narrow enough to prevent the passage of hinge Stoppers lli andleave backing strips l5 be- Y' tween them of suilcient stiiinessVandfstrength to f withstand the strain and tension which will be put onthem by themanipulation'of the leaves l 6 when carrying Vfull sets ofmounted samples .or the like, in the completely assembled album.

While the strips l5 between the slits l2 may;` be relied upon to supportthe hinges i3, and vconsequently the inner leaves It, withoutanyinter,-v mediate support, I have customarily cut the slits in sections,leaving a space of uncut sheet material Il' between the series of slitswhich provides additional strength to the backing assembly and also maybe used as anchorage for binding material such as tape l which may beused to'hold the backing ll in` its finally bound formation.`

Thehinges l3'which are-inserted in these slits may be constructed fromany suitable material, particularly strong, ilexible material bearing'ady,zur

hesiveY substance on one facethereof, as adhesive i coated linen.

The particular form or shape vwhich thehinges but certain shapeshave-,been found to possess advantages over other types ciconstruction.-

Thus the hinges ymay `becomposed of gummed cloth or the like of a lengthequal to approxi# mately the length ofthe slit in the backing piece, andof a width twice the amount neededtor engage the inner sheets, sothatwhen the hinge is folded in half with the adhesivesidetogether, and theedges corresponding in lengthl to the length of the slit are insertedthrough the slit, the sheet to be hinged may be inserted between the twogummed surfaces of the hingel and may be made to adhere thereto in theusual manner (see Figs. 3 and` 7).v In the-form of the hinge shown inFig. 7 the body proper of the folded adhesive parts is slightly taperedto facilitate insertion into the slit. These hinges may be single, onefor each slit, or in series, corresponding to the number of slits in thesame line in the backing, with part of the hinge material cut away so asnot to interfere with the supports heretofore described.

Another form of hinge is shown in Fig. 6. This construction has for itspurpose increased strength and improved appearance. It is characterizedby the feature that it is only cut out in the small space 2S which willpermit it to pass over the supporting tape I8 so that when applied tothe sheet, the appearance of a single hinge running the entire length ofthe page is presented, and the additional area of hinge providesadditional binding strength.

As heretofore explained, the hinges I3 are inserted through the slits I2and the sheets I5 are then adhesively connected to the gummedl sides ofthe hinges thus presented. It is a feature of the invention that thefold of the hinge envelope and contains a stopper I4, larger in diameterthan the Width of the slit, so that the hinge can under no circumstancespass through the slit and become free of the back. This material may beany suitable substance, as thick cord, metal wire, strips of cardboardor the like, the material used being in this case subordinate to thepurpose accomplished. This stopping means may be inserted in one piecefor the entire length of the book as shown in l'lig. 5, or it may beinserted in smaller pieces in this fold of individual hinges.

The excess of diameter of the stop means over the width of the slitsinsures that the hinges will not become free of the back when tension isexerted on the individual sheets of the book. As it is desirable to keepthe stop means of the hinges in close engagement with the under edge ofthe slits so that the leaves will not be loosened in the binder, andslip back, the folds of the hinges containing the stop means arepreferably attached to the backing member along each edge thereof andalong a portion of the back by means `of `tape 2I or its equivalent,thus preventing any movement in space by the hinge Stoppers and insuringthat the leaves, as held by the hinges will retain their position in thefinished book relative to the other leaves and to the back.

The sheet II, when all the hinges are inserted, and either before orafter the leaves are attached to the hinges, is folded into the positionshown in Fig. 3. The slit containing portions of the sheet IIb and IIchave now become the sides of a substantially triangular prism, and thetwo unslitted portions I Ia and i Id are laid against each other to formthe base 22. While it is desirable from the standpoint of strength andstiffness to have this double back, it can be seen that a single back oreven a construction without a back is possible. I have also preferred touse the substantially triangular prismatic backing member, but othershapes are possible embodying the feature of the invention.

The outside cover of the album may be attached to the backing member inthe manner described for the other sheetsby hinging said cover to thelowermost slit which will be located at the bottom of each side of thetriangular prism. The binding part of the cover may then be suitablyformed about these two outside sheets.

However, the cover may also be bound in any conventional manner to thebase of a triangular prism, in which case the two lowermost slits oneither of the arms of the triangular prism will be in spaced relation tothe base angles, rather than at the apex of the base angles.

Since the sheets of the completed book or album are intended to be usedas mounting bases for cards, photographs or textile swatches which arecharacterized by various thicknesses, it will be necessary to space thesheets at different distances from each other to accommodate the variousthicknesses which may result from different types of samples. Thus if itis intended to use the album as a textile sample book, using, forexample, woolen samples which are naturally of greater thickness thancards or photographs, it will be necessary to arrange the sheets at arelatively great distance from each other and this is very simplyaccomplished in the construction of the album merely by cutting theslits I2 at relatively greater distance from each other.

It will be noted that this spacing between the sheets will cause thesheets of the album to lie in a substantially parallelrelationship toeach other when the book is opened in the middle, the spacing beinggoverned by the type of mounting on the sheets and controlled by thespacing between the slits, and that substantially the same relationshipwill exist between the sheets when the book is closed.

While I have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred formsof my invention, it is to 30 be understood that changes may be madetherein and the invention embodied in other structures. I do not,therefore, desire to limit myself to the specific constructionillustrated, but intend to cover my invention broadly in whatever formits principle may be utilized.

I claim:

l. A backing member for albums comprising a sheet of rigid materialfolded into triangular form in which one side of the triangle has adouble thickness of overlapping material, the other two sides of thetriangle having rows of longitudinally extending narrow parallel slitscut therein.

2. In an album or the like, a backing member',

album sheets secured to said member in stepped "f relation, each of saidsheets containing individual mounts mounted in overlapping relation onthe said sheets, the outer edges of said mounts extending close to theouter edges of the sheets, so that the outer edge of each sheet and aportion of the outer edge of each mount remote from the point at whichthe mount is secured to the sheet is visible when the album is open atits center.

3. In an album or the like a hollow backing member comprising asubstantially triangular prism, one side of said prism being adapted tolie at in substantially the plane of the two outermost sheets of thealbum when the album is open having sheets attached thereto at spacedpositions, the sheets situated inwardly of the outermost sheets, beingprogressively narrower whereby the outermost edges of the sheets whenthe album is closed form a triangular recess each of" at its center, andthe other two sides of the prism'o center a portion of each individualmount on each "7-0 sheet is visible.

4.v In an album or the like, a hollow backing member of polygonal crosssection, one wall comprising a base and the other Walls having rows oflongitudinally extending parallel slits out therein, iiexible hingeshaving folds extending through said slits, stops of greater diameterthan the width of the slits heldin said folds on'the under sides of theslitted Walls of lsaid hollow backing member Within the hollow' thereofand.

sheets secured to the hinges on the outer side of said backing member.,y

5. An album as claimed in claim 4 including binding strips overlyingportions of the hinges and the hinge stops contained therein andadhesively secured to the under side ofthe hollow backing member at eachside of said hinges."

6. An album comprising a hollow backing member having rows oflongitudinally extending parallel slits out therein and hinges insertedin said slits, said hinges comprising folds of tough flexible materialgummed on the inner side thereof, said v folds carrying strips ofmaterial of greater diameter than'the Width of said slits located insideof the backing member so as to secure the hinges to the backing member,said hinges` having portions of the gummed material adjacent the foldscut away, said backing member having binding strips` adhesively securedto the outside thereof, said strips extending around the backing membertransversely to the axis thereof and passing L through the openings'inthe hinges Where said gummed material of, said hinges is out away.

